Life Goes On
by Lynsi
Summary: After Max's disappearance, Alec must find her and help her to deal with her trauma from the ordeal. WARNING: rape
1. Chapter 1

All the characters that you recognise are from Dark Angel, which doesn't belong to me but to James Cameron. Caus if I owned it, it would still be on the air right now, and Max and Alec would definitely get together.  
  
This story does concern rape, just to warn you guys. Reviews will be greatly appreciated as this is my first fic and I'll probably get stuck for ideas for the story half way through. The pairing will definitely be M/A, so don't worry about that. Updates on this story may take a while as the dreaded A-levels are creeping up on me, but I should be able to get more done in the summer.  
  
Setting: 1 month after Freak Nation, everything that happened in the series has happened.  
  
Chapter One  
  
Alec strode into the control room at Terminal City, wearing his usual trademark grin. Ever since Max's inspiring speech a month ago, the transgenics had been working hard at making their new home habitable for them, and transforming the toxic neighborhood into a functional command centre. The place was finally starting to take on shape, although there was a long way to go before any ordinaries could return there. After Sketchy, Original Cindy and Logan became ill with radiation sickness, Max had ordered all the ordinaries out of Terminal City on health grounds, but they all were still helping the transgenics to find food and weapons, especially Logan.  
  
A slight frown creased Alec's forehead at the thought of Logan. Although angered at Max's casual assumption that Alec would go along with her deceiving Logan into thinking that she and Alec were together, Alec had finally agreed to go along with the deception, although he hated the slight to his reputation. He and Logan still spoke to each other now, although a lot more formally than before, What really got to Alec was that Logan still acted as if he and Max were together, examining her to see "if new runes had appeared for him to translate". Alec was getting really annoyed with Logan's feeble attempts to flirt with Max. "And he had the bloody cheek to get all riled up at me going out with Max although they had split up, but there's nothing wrong with the great Eyes Only flirting with other people's girlfriends!" he thought, and then, as he realised what he had thought, he shook himself. He and Max were not going out, just pretending to for Max to get rid of Logan. "Still, she could play her part a little better, and not keep running to Logan all the time." Making a firm effort, Alec pushed all thoughts of Max, Logan and himself out of his mind, and, resuming his grin, he casually greeted the occupants of the control room.  
  
"Hey guys, what's happening?"  
  
Mole, looking up from his computer screen, grinned at Alec. The two had become friends since Alec had moved into Terminal City, and they had spent quite a few nights getting drunk together when they weren't on duty.  
  
"Nothing. The perimeter's still secure. No one's gone near it since last week's attempt and America's finest proved themselves to be utterly bullshit and scared of the nasty, mean transgenics. But, to more important things, where are those cigars I ordered?"  
  
Alec winked at the green lizard. "You know how hard it is, to get the best. And of course, I wouldn't dream of selling the all-knowing Mole sub- standard goods..." he trailed off. "What did you say?" he directed at Dalton, the X6 who had been with Alec, Max, Mole, Joshua and Gem at the Jam Pony siege.  
  
"Everything's not fine, sir," said the young, blonde-haired boy, standing nervously at a nearby computer terminal.  
  
Alec sighed. More trouble. "How many times have I told you not to call me sir? And what's wrong now?"  
  
"45 ... Max went out yesterday on a food-gathering and Intel mission, and she hasn't come back yet." Dalton said hesitantly, waiting for Alec to blow. He knew how protective Alec was of Max, although she didn't know.  
  
Alec went cold. "What was her ETA back at base?" he asked in a cold tone.  
  
"17:30 hours, si ... Alec"  
  
"Aaaw, don't worry, pretty boy," Mole said impatiently. He wanted to find out either where his cigars were or the good hard cash was that he lad given to Alec a couple of days ago. "She just probably stayed out to visit the ordinaries, without lowering herself to tell us of that minor detail. I don't know why that girl is so obsessed with them..." he continued in an angry tone.  
  
Alec ran a hand through his hair, letting Mole's words brush off him. He knew that Mole was angry with Max taking over as leader, and had only grudgingly decided to stay, and her affection for ordinaries, because Mole would never be accepted for himself because of the way he looked.  
  
"Mole, I know you and Max have issues but lets just drop the personality conflict here. You know Max would let us know of any changes in her plan, with things so tense out there right now." Slipping unknowingly into his CO frame of mind, Alec continued, "No more missions are going out and recall any that are already out there. I'll get in tough with OC and Logan just in case, but I've got a feeling that something has gone wrong. I want a meeting of our best fighters in the operations room in 20 minutes. I think we need a retrieval mission."  
  
"And why would you think that, pretty boy?" asked Mole sarcastically, using his nickname for Alec.  
  
"Because what better way to lower an enemy's morale than by kidnapping or killing their prophesised leader, lizard boy?" Alec asked grimly as he strode out of the control room to Max's office along the corridor, leaving Mole staring after him in comprehension of exactly what Max was to the hundreds of transgenics in Terminal City.  
  
OPERATIONS ROOM, 20 MINS LATER  
  
"Right people, I've phoned Original Cindy and Logan. Neither of them have seen or heard from Max, so somehow the mission's gone wrong. We need to get a team out there to find her," Alex paced around the Operations room, once again running a hand through his wavy brown hair. He was so worried that he would forget some minor detail that would, unnoticed, mean that he would fail Max when she needed him most.  
  
"Logan is going through his contacts and resources to try and see if he can find out what happened. Dalton, Dix, you're computer whizzes, get a couple of others who know what they're doing and I want you guys to also have a look to see if you can find out what happened. We've got the superhuman capabilities, why not use them to try and help Max?" he asked with a false grin, looking around the room to see answering grins on the faces of his companions.  
  
"The rest of us will search for Max, starting from where she was last seen on her mission, the supermarket on 31st street. She was heading from there to the abandoned warehouse at the docks; there was a rumour that the army was using the place as a weapons cache. We'll search her route, and then spread out from there, looking for her or any sign that she was in the district." Alex paused, hoping that his next words weren't going to be too late. "Speed is of the urgency in this mission – if Max has been captured either by the authorities or the cult, then chances are that she will be killed. We need to find her before that."  
  
The others standing around the room nodded. They all liked Max and respected her, although most of them had felt the rough side of her tongue when she needed something done. Most of all, she was their prophesised leader and they only felt as if they could win with her there fighting with them.  
  
"Alright people, you know what to do. Dalton, Dix, get on the net and find out what you can, the rest of you get weapons and get mounted up on the bikes. Let's move it people. Bip bip bip!" Alec added in a moment of humour as he thought of who normally said those words to him and Max. Normal had been a big help to the transgenics after the siege, starting to send out the word that transgenics were not to be feared, and letting a few that were arriving in Seattle work at Jam Pony until they could be moved on into Terminal City. Yet, Alec still tried to avoid being alone with his former boss who had developed a ... unhealthy interest in him.  
  
As Alec moved out of the room, the rest followed him in a grim mood, determined to help Max, whatever the cost.  
  
31st STREET, 30 MINS LATER  
  
It was less than an hour after it had first come to light that Max was missing, but Alec still felt as if he had been too slow in responding to the emergency, as he helped the other transgenics comb the supermarket and the street. Max had definitely come here and carried out her mission: the window was open and the shop had been ransacked. There was also a new tyre mark on the street, that, due to the transgenics enhanced sight, could be traced back to Max's bike. The search had to be widened now, and Alec was just instructing that others in how to spread out when his mobile rang the annoying tune that everyone loved. He had chose that tune so that it would blend in, in any environment. Taking out the phone, opening it up and looking around to scout out the street, Alec answered the phone.  
  
"Alec, shoot."  
  
"Hey Alec, its Logan here," came the smooth voice over the phone. Alec could picture the man on the other end of the line staring at his computer screen, tapping away as he talked into a hands free set.  
  
"I've been going over the security footage on Max's route, and she definitely entered Sector 6 on her way to the warehouse. Start going from there on your search. I'll see if I can follow her any more with footage."  
  
"Alright, thanks mate." Alec answered and put the mobile back in his pocket. He looked around at the others and told them the news.  
  
"She entered Sector 6 people, so we'll go from there, and totally scour that warehouse, in case she's injured somewhere and lost her phone."  
  
With that, Alec walked over to his bike and threw his leg over it, roaring off into the night once again hoping against hope that she was still alive and her name wouldn't go on that list he kept close to his heart of all the people he had failed.  
  
So... what do you think? Please review and tell me whether the story should continue and any suggestions. 


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Wow, thank you so much for the reviews, especially Julie Pusch and Stretch2. Misty7 – Thanks for your support and advice and candyabble – you find out where Max is next and Diamond*Princess - the rape's gonna happen in the next chapter, I had to write some background first. Without those reviews, I wouldn't have updated so quickly! Well, actually I cheated, I already had half of this chapter written, but I did manage to finish it this week, even though I had to revise for a nasty German oral! Hope you enjoy this chap!  
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
Alec looked around the abandoned warehouse, blowing a stray hair off his forehead as he sighed. There was nothing here to indicate a struggle or, in fact to indicate that anyone had been here since the Pulse.  
  
Mole had been organising the search of the others for Max when he caught sight of Alec standing by himself on the side. After the rest of the team had reported their non-existent findings, he had sent them to search around the creaky building and then he went over to Alec. "You know, all this brooding and frowning will spoil your pretty looks" he told Alec in a motherly tone, as he puffed away on the cigar that was hanging out of his mouth.  
  
"Yeah, yeah" replied Alec sourly. "You know those cigars are shortening your life span as we speak?"  
  
"Hell, what could kill me? I'm a bad ass with a shotgun and I'm a transgenic Manticorian killing machine, and in the end, so is she. She can deal with it pretty boy, and when we find her she'll probably make some smart ass remark about what took us so long." Mole said to his gloomy friend, trying desperately to cheer him up. It wasn't like Alec to be so down – hell, from his cell in the basement at Manticore Mole had seen everyone entering and leaving Psy-Ops. Only Alec had been the same leaving, and Psy-Ops was rough shit. Alec didn't normally give up.  
  
"I know Mole. Its just ... she was my only friend in Manticore and when I started out here. Its strange, but I sorta miss her insults and kickin' my ass." Alec straightened up his shoulders and looked the transgenic lizard beside him in the face. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up lizard breath. But you know a couple of strippers and some beer would have worked like a charm. Note that down for future reference." Alec smiled his cocky grin at Mole and took off before Mole could think of a suitable retort.  
  
Mole watched Alec go outside to join the others in the hunt and hoped that Max's second-in-command was back to normal now. The transgenics couldn't deal with the loss of two of its charismatic leaders.  
  
"Over here Alec!" yelled an X5 that Alec didn't know by name yet.  
  
"What have we got?" asked Alec hurriedly, hoping desperately that it was Max, and not some evidence that she had been kidnapped or killed.  
  
The guy who had yelled for Alec looked steadily at him, but Alec could see the glint of worry that the transgenic was trying to hide. "Its Max's motorcycle."  
  
Alec looked at the machine and thought of all the times that he had seen Max on it. "Right, let's search the surrounding area. As Max is not inside, it means that she's gone and she wouldn't have left her `baby` out in the open like this."  
  
"Hell no" grinned Mole "She takes more care of that thing than Gem takes care of her baby."  
  
The others all grinned – they knew how protective Max was of her transportation, and they had all witnessed Max blowing up at Alec in the control room after he had `borrowed` her bike to use it on a mission. The group of mismatched transgenics spread out, looking for evidence of Max's passing. It was Alec that found it.  
  
Alec caught sight of the small patch of dark red, lying on the tarmac near where the motorcycle stood. His sensitive nose, thanks to the feline DNA in his cocktail, picked up the unmistakable odour of blood. His worst fears had been realised. Looking around, he caught sight of another patch of blood. Slowly, he stood up, and walked towards the second patch. The others, puzzled by his strange behaviour looked on. As Alec saw yet another small patch of blood, he realised that he finally had a trail to follow.  
  
He followed the trail of blood droplets, quickening his pace. The other transgenics followed him, realising what Alec had spotted. The tracks went around the back of the warehouse and then, they stopped. Alec was desperate, where could have happened? Then, the cold shiver running down his spine intensified as Mole began to speak.  
  
"There's petrol on the ground, as if a vehicle suddenly pulled away." Mole faltered, not knowing what to say next, a stark contrast to his normal wisecracking and tactless behaviour. Mole knew what had happened and knew that it was the worst thing that could have happened to the transgenics.  
  
A shiver ran through the group of transgenics, who couldn't feel the chill in the nighttime Seattle air, as Alec's words penetrated their ears, with a coldness that unsettled even the most hardened soldier, "She's been kidnapped."  
  
Max groaned slightly as she came to. From the amount her head hurt, she figured that she had been out of action for about 6 hours, almost unheard of for her, courtesy of her shark DNA. Before opening her eyes, she took stock of her situation – couldn't move arms or legs, no breeze and one heck of a migraine. All in all, her usual shit situation – she'd been captured.  
  
Finally Max opened her eyes to immediately shut them again, against the blinding light. Slowly opening them, she registered the clinical cleanliness of the room and the fact that she was restrained to the steel table that was in the middle of it. Tilting her head slightly to the side she saw a surgical tray, full of nasty, sharp instruments that she had no doubt would find their way into her skin, sooner or later. Max then leaned her head to the left and immediately wished that she hadn't. Sitting confidently on a chair was the biggest son-of-a-bitch of them all, Ames White. He looked at her calculatedly and coldly, before smiling at her, "Hello 452,"  
  
Alec pulled out his mobile and quickly dialled a number, still staring at the petrol tracks on the ground. "Dix, she's been kidnapped. We've got petrol tracks here; looks like a heavy armoured vehicle from the amount. Hack around the net and see if you can find any records or hoverdrome footage of trucks leaving the warehouse and follow it back to their base. We'll follow the petrol trail as far as it leads us," Alec spoke quickly into the handset, his voice not betraying the anxiety and fear he felt.  
  
"Sure thing Alec, but it may take a while. Phone Logan and ask him if he could try and find any info too, they may have avoided detection. Anyway, it'll be quicker with two on the case." The transgenic in TC tried his best to behave like the soldier he had been trained to be, but Dix was still afraid for Max, and Alec. Like Joshua, Dix had perceived that something apart from arguments linked the two leaders together.  
  
"Alright, hit me back as soon as you have anything."  
  
"Got it."  
  
The transgenics prepped their transports and tried to think of ways to trace Max, while Alec dialled Logan's number.  
  
"Hey Logan, we've traced her to the warehouse, but there's signs of a struggle and a petrol trail. She's been captured. Can you try and track her down, Dix is also working on it back at TC?"  
  
"Captured?" Logan's voice faltered on the other end of the line. "I'll get on it straight away. What kind of vehicle do you think it was?"  
  
"Heavy truck, maybe armoured or military. Do your best, we'll follow the trail till you or Dix finds something."  
  
"I'm on it." There was a click as Logan put down the phone to commence busily tapping away at his keyboard.  
  
Alec put his phone away and looked up at the others. "Come on, we'll do the best we can till Dix or Logan gets us more information." With that, he and the other transgenics got onto their bikes and zoomed off, following the slight trail.  
  
Oh shit, Max thought, giving no sign of her anxiety. "Ames, we gotta stop meeting like this, otherwise people might get the wrong idea." Max looked at him, trying to act like her normal badass self.  
  
White smirked and stood up, going over to one of the white walls of Max's prison. "Do you know what's going to happen next, 452?"  
  
"You'll torture me, ask various inane questions, threaten me with several things, blah blah, woof woof," Max said, giving the constraints around her hands a testing jerk.  
  
"I wouldn't do that you know, you might hurt something," White replied, without even turning around from the wall.  
  
"And you expect me to believe that you're not gonna hurt me?" Max scoffed, realising the truth of what he said. Damn him to the worst kind of hell possible. The constraints were steel cuffs, tightly screwed into position, the same at her ankles.  
  
"No," White said, turning at last to look at her. "You know that I am going to cause you a lot of pain. Another way in which we are better than transgenics, we don't feel pain." White stalked across the room to the table with the sinister looking implements. He picked up one knife, with a wicked-looking razor-sharp edge to it, holding it up to the light to make it glint. "You took my son from me 452, I want to know where he is. Are you going to tell me now, or must I use this beauty?" His eyes practically begged her to choose the second option. Although he wanted to know where his son was, White wanted to make the transgenic lying in front of him suffer for causing him so much heartache over the past year. Ames loved Ray more than anything else and he didn't know what had happened to him.  
  
"I hate to be predictable Amesie, but you can kiss my transgenic ass!" Max knew that she was in trouble, but she was a soldier and a badass. Hell, she'd survived Manticore twice - next to that, a Familiar was nothing. Max knew that it was bravado and also that she wouldn't give in.  
  
"Oh well, so much for being a gentleman," White sighed mockingly and held up another, much duller blade. "Which one would you like me to use first?"  
  
~~~  
  
That's that. Was that an evil cliff-hanger? Grins evilly. Sorry. I'll try and update soon, but I don't know what I mean by soon, hopefully within the next two weeks. As usual reviews would be greatly appreciated and for those that reviewed last time, thanks again! 


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks guys for all the reviews! Its really, really brilliant that you all took the time to do that and its really made me want to write the story quicker. The next chapter will be a while coming, as I really have to revise for my exams – I got told last week that I should have been revising for the past 2 months – oops! Well, here's the next part and I hope you enjoy it!

**DISCLAIMER:** This also applies to the previous chapters (I forgot that we're supposed to write these!). None of the characters that you recognise belong to me, they all belong to James Cameron and whoever else owns Dark Angel.

**CHAPTER THREE**

The moon shone brightly down onto the checkpoint between sectors 5 and 6, where a couple of sector cops were sitting in their hut watching TV. Their cups of coffee steamed against the chill of the midnight air, while the two cops were concentrating on the screen. Suddenly hearing a loud revving of several engines, they rushed out of the hut in front of the barrier, eager to extort some more money from the citizens of Seattle. However, they instead had to dive to the side of the barrier, as twelve motorbikes roared up the street. Upon reaching the barrier, the lead biker on a lime green motorbike, pulled his bike up to crash through the barrier, with the rest following through in a matter of seconds. "What was that?" muttered one of the dazed cops. Alec and the rest raced on their motorcycles through the back streets of Seattle, desperate to go as fast as possible. Dix had just come through with some info – a large military vehicle had left Sector 4, close to the warehouse. They were following it through the city, as the truck had not yet stopped. However, it had spent half an hour more than necessary in Sector 8, so half the team would search the area while the others would continue to follow the truck.  
  
Alec swerved sharply around the bend, going through the lanes to reach the next sector checkpoint quicker, with Mole in hot pursuit. For a lizard transgenic that had had no proper training, Mole was surprisingly good on the bike, better in fact that some of the X series back at TC. Alec risked a quick look back at Mole and grinned to see the lizard biting on one end of a cigar as he concentrated on the road. 'Trust Mole not to waste a cigar' Alec thought, shaking his head at the lizard-boy's antics. However Alec's thoughts quickly returned to the dark-haired transgenic that he was trying so desperately to find. "Hold on Max, just hold on" he whispered, his eyes darting around as he approached the next checkout barrier, "Hold on, we're coming for you."

Max gritted her teeth against the pain that was coursing through her nervous system. There were numerous cuts on her body, from the dull and sharp instruments. She had lost about 2 ½ pints of blood and was starting to feel light-headed, not a good thing when you are being tortured. White was getting more worked up by the minute, as Max refused to tell him anything about the transgenics or his precious son Ray. White seemed crazy enough to do anything to save his son, at least to Max and this made him more human in her eyes. A little bit. Then she had to bite her tongue to hold back a scream as boiling hot water was poured over her stomach. She tasted copper as blood began to fill her mouth_. 'On second thoughts, fuck that,'_ she thought _'He's an inhuman bastard and I am so gonna kick his ass for this. I'm going to make his death as painful for him as this is for me.'  
_  
"You were starting to smell a little 452 and I didn't want this nice facility to stink of transgenics now, do I?" White grinned his sadistic smirk at her, the one that turned her blood cold. Max knew that she probably wouldn't live through this if she annoyed him so much that he lost his self-control. White was ironically what Manticore had tried to train their transgenics to be; cold, calculating, ruthless with a love for pain and death.  
  
"Now 452, how many times do we have to go through this? I want to know where my son is, and everything about the transgenic situation inside and outside Terminal City. I know you're the leader of the freaks and that you'll know the most about them," White's voice was getting colder by the second, any moment soon and Max would swear that she was at the North Pole. "If you don't talk, I'll cause you so much fucking pain that in the end you'll be begging me to slit your throat." He leaned closer, staring into Max's eyes without blinking, the intensity of his stare rendering her speechless for once.  
  
"Cat got your tongue? Oh well then, best get started." The corners of White's mouth turned upwards in a feral grin as he moved off to the side. Max's body started to spasm involuntarily as electricity started to course through it. The pain was intense. Her every nerve was screaming in agony, begging her to do anything to stop the pain that they were in. Slowly, the pain began to escalate, until small blue-white lines began to occur all over her body.  
  
"Now 452, tell me where my son is. Where the hell is Ray?" White's voice got louder and louder, demanding an answer. "I'll increase the voltage until you answer me. Where the fuck's my son?" White was screaming now in desperation. Aides outside the soundproof room heard his roaring, although they could not hear what he said clearly. They admired the transgenic for her attitude and daring – they were all scared shitless by White and his temper when things didn't go his way. White's screaming intensified and Max began to whimper as more and more electricity surged through her body. It felt as though her every nerve stood on end and she could find no surcease in her mind – she couldn't think of anything but the pain. White's ranting and raving meant nothing to her; she was made blind and deaf with pain. Blue-white sparks hovered in front of her eyes. Through the pain and haziness, her battered mind focused on the one thing that she could remember. _'Alec, where are you?'_

Alec zoomed through the streets, not even noticing the people who scattered as they heard him coming. He was so intent, so focused on Max that nothing else mattered. Suddenly, he thought he heard something and looked around. _'No, it couldn't have been'_ he thought, trying to expel the dumb thought from his head. But it wouldn't go away. He thought that he had just heard Max whisper his name so softly that it was barely audible.

The blue-white sparks were beginning to fade and all that could be heard was the whimpering that was coming from Max. The sound was so strange coming from her, that it took White a minute to register that she was making the noise. He had finally admitted defeat with the electricity torture – he had turned it onto the highest setting that wouldn't kill her, but she had said nothing.  
  
White looked dispassionately at the transgenic lying on the table, still squirming and moaning slightly with pain. He was at a total loss, wondering how to extract the information from her that he craved. 'Admit it, you want to keep her here' his inner voice told him. Though he hated to admit to himself, he was intrigued by the fiery transgenic with the bad- ass attitude. He was intrigued by her determination, her courage, the way she always fought. White stared at the still unseeing brunette, her hair surrounding her head like a halo. Her eyes were closed and she had finally stopped making the whimpering sound that grated on his nerves. He saw her starting to take deep breaths, as her skin tone began to turn its normal shade. From the moment that he had first saw her in the cage, he had been amazed at her beauty – none of the other transgenics were as breathtakingly stunning, although they had been bred for beauty. He wanted to be more lenient with her, which enraged him when he realised what he was feeling, which normally led him to take his temper out on whatever poor unfortunate happened to be in the way. White continued to stare at her unblinkingly, as she slowly began to relax on the table.  
  
Max came slowly back to herself, as the pain receded from her body. She remembered the agony but forced her mind away from it. _'Pull it together soldier – you're tougher that this! We've got out of worse situations than this before, Manticore so just ignore the pain and think of a plan. Okay, still chained to table, body very sore but usable, sadistic bastard still in room. Best to get him out of here and then try the cuffs.'_ Decided on this plan of action, Max breathed deeply and opened her eyes to look into the black eyes of the man above her. "Is that all you've got Amesie?"  
  
He walked over to a corner of the room, no longer looking at her. 'What the fuck will break her?' he wondered, despair eating him alive. White needed to know where his son was, if his little boy was safe and well. An idea suddenly came to him and a devilish smirk appeared on his face.  
  
"You know, that you're never going to get away 452?" he asked, in a conversational tone of voice, without looking around from his contemplation of the wall.  
  
"Hey, I've got away from Manticore twice and no matter how many times you've caught me Amesie, I'm still alive and kicking. How d'ya figure that I'm not gonna magically disappear from this shithole?" Max cocked her head to the side, ignoring the pain that the sudden movement cost her.  
  
"But you've always had your eager little transgenic filth to help you," White said, seemingly unconcerned with her disrespect. "They're not here this time."  
  
"Whatever." Max decided that she was bored with this conversation and started to think of other ways to annoy White.  
  
"They have no idea what has happened to you." White continued on. "No, belay that, they definitely know what's happened to you, but they have no idea where to look for you 452, that's if they decide to come looking. So many of the transgenics view you as a traitor that I'm sure that they're glad to have you out of their sight."  
  
"Then why bother to interrogate me White? I obviously don't know anything about them as they hate me, so what good could this do you?" Max knew why, but she was determined to anger the thing that stood in the corner, exuding control.  
  
"Pleasure and getting my son back. You are slow for filth – did I hurt you too much?" White turned around, a mocking expression on his face. "Face it 452. Your friends aren't coming for you. No one. Not even ... Alec? Was that the name you were moaning? Which one's that, 494? I always knew that you two had a special ... bond – I never find one without the other." Slowly he began to walk over to the table. Once he was standing beside it, he began to run his hand over the side of the table, staring at the blood that was still on it. "You think that he's going to come and rescue you, save you, but its not going to happen. He'd be shot before he came within 100 metres of this building – there's no way in or out that does not involve coming or leaving in a body bag. You're not worth the risk 452, you're dispensable." Finally he looked at her and carried on, staring into her eyes intently without blinking. "You're not worth anything 452, no matter how special you think you are. We are the best, with better reflexes and skills than you filthy transgenics can dream of. All that you're fit for 452, is wasting time and toying with – a dirty plaything to experiment with." White picked up a knife and started to slice away Max's clothes.  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" yelled Max, furious and scared as she tried to get her body to move as far way from White as possible.  
  
"Can't you remember your briefing sessions at Manticore, 452?" White was still staring at her, but his expression had changed slightly, so that he was now leering at her. "You're now a POW and what usually happens to female POWs?"  
  
Max gulped visually, with no further doubt in her mind as White finished slicing the clothes off her. She tried desperately to go back into her soldier's mentality, to forget her surroundings and concentrate on planning an escape, but it didn't work. She could hear every insult he yelled and screamed at her, felt every hit he aimed on the most tender parts of her body and could feel his cold, slimy hands all over her. She couldn't escape feeling his hands everywhere around her body, her humiliation and the way he moved on top of her. Desperately wishing for someone, anyone to come and help her, Max barely noticed the tears that slid down her cheeks as she felt White enter her and roughly start thrusting into her, as his mouth found her breast and bit her hard on the nipple. She felt him moving inside her, in her deepest, most private place. _'Where are you Alec?'_

_  
  
_Alec expertly blurred across the field, avoiding the shower of bullets that was coming down over the transgenics that had continued on into the facility. It was almost as if he was watching someone else controlling his body, while he emotionlessly took out the guards that stood between him and Max. Time seemed to blur and if he were questioned about it, despite his Manticore training to always be observant, Alec could not remember a thing about what happened in the army warehouse. Speeding around corridors and checking everywhere, he finally found himself in the middle of the building, outside a locked door. Knowing who was being held behind the door, Alec threw his whole weight onto it, feeling it give a little each time until the bolts holding the door finally broke. He ran through, only to be stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of White's body covering Max's.

Well, please write a review and tell me what you think. I wasn't sure how to write the rape scene but I gave it my best shot. I think that this is going to be a rather angsty fic, but there will be romance too! I think that I should get another chap out around the end of June but if I can get one out before that, I'll try!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hey guys, here's an update (finally you might say). Sorry it took so long coming out but my A-levels are finally over and I have free time at last! Woohoo, a nice lazy summer – and its started raining here. Aaah well, can't have it all I suppose.  
  
Thanks for all the brilliant reviews you guys sent me – they are inspiring and an incentive to update. I'll get the next chapter out in a week as a thank you but keep the reviews coming anyway! This chapter is dedicated to all of you who took the time to review my fic, you rock!  
  
**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything or anyone you recognise, I'm just borrowing them unfortunately.

On with the show!!!

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**CHAPTER FOUR**

Alec just stared at the sight. He couldn't move, it was as if his mind had been disconnected from his body. Everything seemed to be slow motion, until White's head shot up to stare right back at him.  
  
White moved his head as he heard the door crashing to the floor. A grin crossed his face as he stared at the shocked transgenic that was stood in the doorframe. "494, so good of you to join us. Now I know why all you transgenic filth are attached to 452, she's a really good fuck. Nice and tight where it counts." He demonstrated by thrusting violently into Max once more, making her whimper, the first sound she had made since it had started. White withdrew from her, turning around to stare at Alec again. "She is really frigid though – haven't you been teaching her right or are all you transgenics so uptight?"  
  
Finally Alec was able to move and with an animal roar he launched himself at White. Red filled his vision and he wanted to kill, something he had never felt in his life before. However his rage meant that he was not thinking clearly and White quickly kicked him back towards the entrance. Alec tried again to murder his enemy, but White's familiar traits kept him at bay, before White finally kicked him away.  
  
"I thought that you were supposed to be the ultimate fighters, far superior to anything ever seen before. Guess Dad didn't know what he was doing after all, we Familiars are the best and only worthy ones on Earth. 452's the best among you and even at that, I'd still have to give her training before she's any good – whores are supposed to enjoy a good fuck and moan in pleasure." White punched Alec in the jaw and then pushed the table that Max was still locked onto at the furious transgenic. With a smirk White then turned and ran through the other exit, knowing that he had finally affected 452.  
  
The table hit Alec and it was only his transgenic reflexes that enabled him to grab the table and stop it from flipping over and hurting Max even more. He didn't even see White hightail it out of the room, his thoughts were now focused on the petite body in front of him. His rage had disappeared, only to be replaced with worry and fear. Gently he placed a hand on Max's forehead, stroking away some of her hair which had fallen across it. "Max" he whispered softly, hoping that she was strong enough to cope with this, "Max, you're safe now. Open your eyes, it's me, Alec."

Max was trying to ignore it, thinking of anything else, trying to keep a grip on her sanity. The problem with knowing that you were stronger than normal humans and brighter had an unfortunate side effect; you believed that no one could take advantage of you or hurt you. Max wasn't able to cope with the fact that she couldn't fight this attack off, all she could do was shut her eyes and hope that it would be over soon. The sound of the door being smashed open raised a vestige of hope deep within her soul that the torture would be stopped, but nothing happened and she started to despair again.  
  
She was deaf to what was happening, couldn't concentrate on anything other than the very thing that was destroying her inside. The thrusting paused for a few seconds, then Max's breath was taken away by the pain of the next thrust. It was so quick and violent that she couldn't help but break her self-imposed silence to whimper in pain. Then thankfully, he left her and Max just lay there, unthinking but definitely not unfeeling. She felt bruised and sore all over and it wasn't just because of the torture she had gone through earlier. Muscles she never knew she had ached and protested against the violent use – Max had never felt so worn out before, even when she was recovering from the bullet wound or the heart transplant surgery. Suddenly she felt a hand stroking hair away from her forehead and she froze, muscles tensed up, waiting to see whether the nightmare would continue. Max realised that the touch was not harsh, but gentle and comforting and finally her dazed mind focused on the sounds that she was hearing but not understanding, "Max, you're safe now. Open your eyes, it's me, Alec."

Alec continued to stroke her forehead, refusing to let her go, despite her tensing up when he had first touched her. "Come on Maxie, you know you're gonna have to keep me out of trouble. Please open your eyes, everything's alright," Alec's voice nearly broke. He begged her with one last "Please", a word that somehow managed to contain all that he felt within his soul at that moment.

Max heard Alec's voice, glad that he was there and had stopped the madness. But she couldn't face him; she couldn't face anyone at all. She resolved to keep her eyes shut and feign unconsciousness, all the time marvelling at how gentle, caring and loving he sounded. The only other time she had ever heard him speak like that was when she had eavesdropped to hear his conversation with Rachel, just before the other girl had finally died. Max just wanted to hide but when he said "Please", when he had said it so heartbreakingly, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

Alec was staring at her face, trying to will her to face the situation, no matter how much she wanted to run and hide from it. He knew that action- wise, she was as brave as anything but Max had a hard time handling emotions, just like the rest of the transgenics, although she did have a tendency to try and run away from problems, like telling Logan that she was seeing Alec to push him away. Slowly, her dark eyes flicked open and a smile worked its way across Alec's face. "Hey,"  
  
"Hey right back" Max whispered, all the noise that she could manage at the moment. She felt enormously comforted by the look on Alec's face and the fact that he was still stroking her forehead, as if he were unaware that he was doing so.  
  
"We've been looking all over the place for ya, you know," Alec said conversationally, as he looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what to do next.  
  
"Well it took ya long enough to find me," Max answered him, her voice gradually becoming a little louder. Alec was so happy to hear her sound like her normal bitchy self that he laughed. "I don't know what you're laughing at pretty boy, the fact that you took so long to get here doesn't show you in the best light."  
  
"Sorry ma'am." Alec smirked at her.  
  
Suddenly a static noise filled the air, making Max jump. "Pretty boy, ya found her yet? We've got nothing and they're starting to tell us that we're not welcome." Mole's voice drawled over the radio transmitter that Alec had forgotten was attached to his shirt. The sounds of bullets also came over the radio, making clear Mole's laid-back warning was an understatement.  
  
Alec clicked a button on the device. "Got her Mole, just about to try and get out. Cover for us will ya? She's been tortured pretty badly and isn't up to much escape and evade. I'll radio you when we're clear."  
  
"Just make it as fast as ya can. We can't hold out much longer without some casualties, Kally and James have already been hit. Seems he's trying to equal you record for how many holes bullets have made in your body."  
  
Alec laughed at that and looked at Max to see a small smile on her face. "Come on, we need to get out of here quick."  
  
"Hello, handcuffed to the table? Not exactly the quickest way to get out." Max gave Alec a look that spoke volumes. "Help me, please," Suddenly Max needed to be away from table and the room, as memories threatened to overwhelm her. Alec examined the steel cuffs that locked her to the table, looking for a way to free her. Max became wary as Alec stood by her side. Although she knew that Alec would never hurt her, she was very conscious of the fact that she was in a weak position and that he was an exceptionally strong male.  
  
"Aaha!" Alec said as he got the steel cuffs open and helped Max to sit up. It was only then that Alec saw the dried blood on the table and realised how much she had been tortured. "Shit Max, what did the bastard do to you?"  
  
"Blunt, sharp, hot, cold, electric shocks, yadda yadda yadda, you know the usual." Max winced as her muscles protested being used more. "I'm sure you saw the Grand Finale" as she said this, she dropped her eyes and tried to rub feeling into her arms.  
  
Alec felt his anger rise up again – Max looked so small and fragile, something he had never seen before. Even in Manticore, Max had been filled with an inner fire and strength that enabled her to retain her character while others were beaten into submission; Max was not your average girl who just sat back and let things happen. He wondered if she would ever be as carefree (if that word could apply to Max) as she had been before White's brutal rape or if there would always be a wariness in her eyes and a defensive posture. Alec swallowed his rage, he just wanted to get Max to the safety of Terminal City.  
  
"According to the data that Dix hacked off the internet, there's a tunnel that leads out of the base into Sector 8. If we can get through it, the others will meet us at Joshua's house and we'll go to TC from there."  
  
"So, lead on then. The welcome here was less than satisfactory." Max wobbled as she stood up. Alec hesitantly wrapped an arm around her waist, cursing as she tensed up. Max told herself to relax, it was only Alec and leaned into the comfort of his protective body. "On second thoughts, I'd rather find something to wear first."  
  
Alec suddenly realised that she was naked. He had seen her, but the fact that she was naked hadn't registered in his mind. _'No wonder she was tense around me,'_ he thought. Now that he knew that she was naked, he tried to stop looking at her and his face started to turn red. "Sit here and I'll look for something."  
  
He went out of the room and into the one next door, to find a medical storeroom. Luckily there was a supply of patient gowns in one of the cupboards. _'Convenient that'_ he thought and returned to Max. After helping her to get the gown on, he slipped his arm around her waist once more and they started to make their way to the tunnel.  
  
How they managed to avoid being seen by the Familiar guards, Alec would never know. By some higher instinct, they ducked and hid at the right time, despite being hindered by Max's injuries and wary of the Familiars' heightened senses. At any rate, they soon found the tunnel entrance and went through it, emerging in an alleyway in Sector 8. Alec radioed Mole immediately, "We're out lizard boy, get outta there. Meet you at Joshua's old place ASAP."  
  
"And just where was Joshua's old place pretty boy? You know that I'm a real homebody and don't get out much," Mole asked sarcastically.  
  
"Adam's with ya right? He was at Jam Pony with us, he knows where Joshua's house is. Now get your big scaly ass there pronto." Alec cut his transmission off and he and Max laughed as Mole's curses came over the airwaves back to them.  
  
"We'd better get there after telling Mole that. If he's there before us, he'll never let us live it down," Max told Alec and he nodded at her. They went down the alley and then Alec used his training to hot-wire a stolen car to take them to Joshua's house.  
  
They pulled up outside the house and Alec helped Max out of the car and into the house. They had managed to reach it before Mole and the rest of the team arrived – no sooner were they in the house than they heard the roaring of a multitude of motorbikes coming up the street. Max looked at Alec, hurrying to get his agreement before they arrived, "Alec, please don't tell them what happened."  
  
Alec looked at her, half-expecting what she was going to say next, "Max, it's pretty obvious that you've been tortured."  
  
"Not that," she said impatiently, "the ... other part."  
  
"Max, they'll wonder what happened ..."  
  
"I don't care Alec! I couldn't bear for them to know. Please. I don't want anyone to know. I want to pretend that it never happened! I can't stand the way they'll look at me, with pity. Alec please. I'll do anything. I'll even stop hitting you. Just please don't tell them." Max stared up into his eyes, begging him to listen to her and not say anything.  
  
Alec stared into her dark eyes, seeing grief, fear and desperation in the brown depths. He knew that he couldn't refuse her anything in that condition, but also knew that he had to let some people know. "Max, I'll keep it secret for as long as I can. I can't promise anymore than that. Eventually some people will need to know and I'll have to tell them. I'll keep it as quiet as I can." He told her sincerely. Max looked at him and the stubborn set of his jaw told her that she would get nothing more out of him. "Thank you." She whispered as the door opened and the rest of the transgenic rescue team came in make sure that she was still alive.

---------------

Well, there you go. Sorry guys, I know you all wanted Alec to kill White but what can I say? I've got something else planned later for them. Don't worry, White gets what's coming to him, I promise. Max will be avenged, or maybe she gets her own revenge? Not sure what way to write but it will happen. You know the drill, press the little blue button below (please!). 


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own anything that you recognise. What's the point of these things anyway? Everyone knows who does own Dark Angel and it certainly ain't me.

**CHAPTER 5**

The old wooden door of Joshua's house burst open as the other transgenics piled through the frame. Various voices said "Max, you're safe," or "She's alright," but the confused and relieved babble faded away as they saw the blood all over their leader. Finally, one loud voice filled the oppressive silence, Mole's, "What the fuck happened Max?"  
  
Everyone's eyes were trained on Max to see how she would reply, Alec's included. He resented Mole's question and felt strangely protective of Max, knowing instinctively how vulnerable she was right now. Max looked up at the 6'6 lizard man and grinned, "You know, the usual. Torture followed by boredom followed by weirdoes who kept asking questions. Why did you guys interrupt my vacation anyway?"  
  
Mole just looked at her, the corners of his mouth turning upwards in a wry smile. "Kids these days. No respect and you can't leave them by themselves for a minute."  
  
Max stared up at him and suddenly started to giggle, breaking the tense atmosphere. Everyone else started laughing to, relieved to know that their leader was safe and Alec was glad that no one realised what had actually happened. They came up to Max, slapping her on the back in welcome. The scene looked happy and friendly – only Alec saw how Max flinched when any other males came near her or the tense set to her shoulders as she was surrounded by her friends. The other transgenics were oblivious, just happy that she was back.  
  
They finally set out back to TC and reached there without any major trouble. Max hitched a ride on Alec's bike, as hers was still at the warehouse where she had been captured. Alec suggested that Max ride with him and she agreed, happy to be with someone who understood what she was feeling. They had zoomed through the deserted streets of Seattle in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts.  
  
Back at TC, the amount of transgenics who had turned up to await news of Max was unbelievable. Nearly all of TC's inhabitants had turned up, crowded together, desperate for news of Max. It was amazing how many had found out that Max had gone missing, despite Alec trying to keep it quiet so that the population wouldn't get alarmed. He caught a sight of Max's face as she got off the bike and saw the alarm and tension etched on it. Alec made a quick decision. "She's back folks! Don't worry, we got Max back and she's safe, I'm just going to take her to Medical to get treatment." At this a murmur went through the crowd, she needed treatment? Max saw what Alec was trying to do and decided to help, she needed to get away before her control cracked. "Just had the usual welcoming treatment from the government guys, I'm fine. After all, we were made indestructible, weren't we?" At that, the transgenics started to laugh, relieved. It had been Max who had kept them all together so far, especially because of her inspiring speech after the siege at Jam Pony. Many in the crowd had been afraid that with Max'' disappearance, their struggling nation would fall apart. As the jubilant crowd started to celebrate, Alec took Max's arm and guided her towards the basic medical bay that had quickly been established.  
  
Max realised where they were going and quickly looked around to see if they were being followed. Seeing that the coast was clear Max spoke up, "Alec, I'm not going to medical."  
  
He turned around and looked at her. "Max, I saw how much blood you've lost and your body's worn out from the torture. You need to get some treatment, even if we're genetically enhanced killing machines."  
  
"Alec I can't go!" Max's voice was going higher and there was tinges of panic despite the fact that she was trying to sound normal. "If I go to medical, they'll realise what has happened and no one can know!"  
  
Alec stared at the brunette before him, who was trembling in fear, a fact that he didn't think that she was conscious of. Once again, he felt protective of her, determined to protect her from her fears. "Alright, I give up. Come on, lets go to your apartment."  
  
They started walking again and shortly arrived at Max's apartment, chosen for its location as it was quite close to HQ. Max walked in, with Alec right behind her. She sank down onto the patchy couch that they had scavenged from the ruins in TC as Alec looked at her. "I'm going to go and ..." Alec didn't get any further as Max's head had shot up at his words and she interrupted him, "Don't leave me alone please Alec, I need someone right now." Her eyes bored into his, pleading with him to stay. Alec sat gently down on the couch beside her, "Let me finish Max," he said softly "I'm going to go and steal some medical supplies – if you're not going there then I'll have to do it. You need a transfusion and other things. I'll come right back, I promise and I'll stay here if you want me to."  
  
Max looked at him and then hung her head. "Sorry," she whispered softly. "S'okay. Now lock the door behind me and don't open it to anyone unless you're sure its me, okay?" Max nodded her acquiesce and Alec slipped out the door.  
  
It took him roughly quarter of an hour to get to medical, ransack it for the supplies he needed and get back to Max's apartment. While on his errand, he shook his head at how easy it was to get around the hub of TC without being noticed. _'Mental note to self,'_ he thought, '_tell everyone off for sitting around on their asses. The Familiars have the same capabilities as we do.'  
_  
He got to the door of Max's apartment and knocked. "Max, it's me. Open the door." After a few moments the door opened and Max stood there, looking more fragile than ever before in the medical gown that Alec had swiped from the base for her. She stood back and allowed Alec in, locking the door behind him again. Alec unloaded his supplies and medical equipment onto the wooden crate that served as a table and Max settled down on the sofa again, curling her legs underneath her and wrapping her arms around herself. Alec organised everything until it suited him and then looked over at Max. "Are you sure you want me to do this? It'd be easier if you went over to Medical."  
  
"No," Max whispered softly "I'd rather you do it. You won't ask awkward questions – you already know what's happened."  
  
"Okay" Alec took a deep breath and went to work on the broken body of his friend. It was a lot more different than it had been at Manticore, tending to his unit's wounds or as practice in Field Med – as he saw the wounds on Max's body, he realised how much she had been tortured before the rape and anger began to build up once more in his soul. But he didn't say a thing as he stitched up the larger wounds and gave Max some of his blood to make up for how much she had lost, thankful that Manticore had seen fit to make all their experiments universal donors. He worked silently, his hands gentle on Max's battered body, avoiding the one part of her body that would cause the most problems and embarrassment for the both of them. Finally, he had tended everywhere apart from there and Alec sat back, not sure what to say to Max.  
  
Max looked at Alec, knowing what he was thinking. She was grateful for his silence and understanding, amazed at how gentle he was being. "Here," she whispered, breaking the silence and lifted up the end of the medical gown.  
  
Hesitantly, Alec moved forward and looked at the internal damage that White had done to Max with that brutal rape. Rage built up in him and he clenched his fists as he saw the testimony to White's crime. Max was still bleeding, with bruises on the inside of her thighs and blood slowly trickling down them. It had been brutal – Max was torn and among the blood was a shiny white substance. Alec swallowed, forcing down his rage and gently tended Max, trying to be as unobtrusive as he possibly could.  
  
Max felt Alec at work, after his initial hesitancy. She closed her eyes and tried to think of anything else. Alec's touch was totally different to White's touch, but it still unnerved her and made her tense. At that moment, she wasn't embarrassed – Alec had already seen everything that day and she was too tired from the emotional and physical rollercoaster that she had been on since her kidnapping. Max just wanted to go to sleep and leave the world behind; she was at her limit and couldn't take much more. She knew that she would be embarrassed later at what Alec had seen, but now she just wanted to curl up into a little ball and never wake up. Finally she felt Alec's hands move off her and she opened her eyes to see him leaning back on his heels. As he began to speak, she let go off the hem of the gown, allowing it to fall back down and cover her. "I've done the best that I can Max, but you really should go and see a doctor. I'm sure OC can hook you up with someone you don't know if you'd prefer that."  
  
"Thanks Alec," Max replied. "I'll think about it but all I want at the moment is a hot shower and then bed."  
  
"Well you're in luck," Alec replied, wanting to comfort Max but knowing that she didn't want to get emotional. "While you were away on your... hmm 'vacation', Luke and his team managed to get the electricity going so we do actually have hot showers now."  
  
"Really?" Max perked up. She was so sick of cold showers, and they had only had them for about a week. Before that, water had been rationed until Luke and his engineers had been able to connect a water pipe to TC.  
  
"Really really," Alec replied, remembering an old pre-Pulse cartoon film had had seen about an ogre and a donkey.  
  
"I'm definitely having a shower then," Max said and quickly got off the sofa and started to move around the room grabbing her robe and some other articles of clothing. She entered the cramped cubicle that was her 'luxury' en-suite bathroom, but hesitated before closing the door behind her. "Will you stay here with me Alec?" she asked softly. "I really need someone to stay with me tonight."  
  
Alec smiled at her, "Whenever you need me Maxie, I'll be here."  
  
"Thanks" she whispered with a small smile and closed the door. Within a minute, Alec heard the shower start and was glad that Max was feeling better. He sat down on the sofa, waiting for Max to come out and lost in his own thoughts. Ater a while, he realised that Max had not come out the bathroom yet, in fact, the shower was still on. Quickly he glanced down at his watch, realising that Max had been in there for about half an hour. He walked over and knocked on the door. "I know you're glad that we've actually got running hot water now Max, but leave some for the rest of TC will ya?"  
  
He received no supply but the shower was switched off. Five minutes later, Max came out of the bathroom with a puff of steam. Alec just stared. Her skin that the robe showed was very red and sore looking, as though it had constantly been rubbed. "What did you do?" he asked in a hushed voice. Max looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I feel really dirty." She whispered and began to cry, an action that immediately brought Alec off his seat and over to her. He wrapped his arms around her, whispering to her, comforting her. He had no idea what he was saying, but he was trying desperately to comfort her. After a while, Max stopped crying and just stood in Alec's arms, her head resting on his chest. Alec picked her up and carried her into her bedroom, before laying her down on the bed. Her arms had snaked around his neck while he was carrying her, and as he made to pull away, her arms tightened, not allowing him to leave her. "Okay Maxie," he whispered, lying down on the bed beside her and wrapping his arms around her. "Don't worry, you're safe here, I'll protect you," he continued, gently stroking her hair. Max suddenly felt so safe, she didn't want to move. "I know you will," she whispered back, slowly falling asleep as Alec stroked her back.

-------------------------

Sorry, that the update's a bit later than I promised, but I had problems with Internet access for the last week – namely that some one hacked into our account while we were surfing and ran up an £100 phone bill. Needless to say my parents were not pleased and took away the internet. But I'm working on them, I promise. I'll keep going with the story, though it may be harder for me to put them on the computer. Guess I'm going to have to rely on my friends who have the Internet until I bully my parents into getting it again. 

One question: what are betas? Do they read fics to check for errors or what? Can someone please tell me what they do and if anyone wants to be my beta, drop me a line please. Thanks.

**REPLIES TO REVIEWS:**  
  
**Eden**: Wow. I loved your review. It made me feel so happy and loved. You really think that I'm that good a writer? I'm going to have a big over inflated head and ego for days now. I'll try and make it a long one – I know what I want to cover in the story but I'm not sure of all the little details yet but I am aiming for a long fic.  
  
**willow98002**: Don't worry, White will get his ass kicked. Any suggestions on exactly what should happen? It will be very, very nasty though.  
  
**acb**: Thank you so much for your review. I love it when people say I rock. You are rather bloodthirsty though aren't you? Lol. I know what you mean and I totally understand. Do you have any ideas about revenge either? I'll try and incorporate people's ideas in the story.  
  
**TV Angel**: Thanks for pushing the button! Here's the next update anyway, hope you liked it.  
  
**honey00**: Here's the update but you're gonna have to keep reading to find out what happens to White, I'm not including that for a while. Don't worry it is an M/A fic so they will get together, at least, eventually.  
  
**X5-467**: Thanks for the review. At least this update's quicker than the last one.  
  
**TikigirlK16**: Here we go. Hope u like it!  
  
**Black Rose9**: More compliments. I'm blushing and my head is getting bigger as we speak? Type? Aah well, you know what I mean. Thanks for the review.  
  
**little me**: Update here. Sorry it's later than promised though. I'll get to work on the next update straight away.  
  
**flash**: Sorry for the disappointment. Is this too late for next week? It's not in the UK, but I'm not sure about elsewhere. See note above for excuse. I'll try better next time though. 

You know what I want. Reviews, pretty please.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I'm baaaaaaaaacck. Finally, I hear you mutter. I managed to get access to the Internet again and so here's the next installment:

**CHAPTER SIX**

****

Alec woke up slowly, enjoying the radiating warmth that was coming from Max's body. He continued to hold her, staring at her sleeping face, which showed a vulnerability in repose that he had only seen once before on Max's face, the previous night. Regarding her peaceful form, he resolved to keep her safe from any other harm. Alec had no idea of how much time he spent looking at Max; all too soon, from his point-of-view anyway, she began to stir.

Max rose from unconsciousness leisurely, relishing in the warmth of her bed, which was welcome in the cold Seattle winter. She snuggled into the covers, wanting to return to sleep and with that action, Max became conscious of the warm, male body beside her and the muscular, masculine arms that were holding her tightly. She tensed instinctively, as memories of the previous night rushed overwhelmingly back. Then, her transgenic senses kicked in and she recognised the smell that surrounded her as Alec. Max's instincts recognised him as safe and finally allowed her body to relax, as she enjoyed the comfort she felt in knowing that he was with her and would protect her.

Alec sighed inwardly as he felt her slight body tense in his arms as she realised that someone was with her. _'It's going to take a while for her to become trusting again after that'_, he thought _'We transgenic were taught at Manticore to think of ourselves as superior to most other people and its harder for us to adjust to being beaten.' _Then he felt Max relax in his arms, and he realised that she had recognised him. A small smile spread across Alec's handsome features as he knew now that Max trusted him and felt safe with him.

"Hey" he whispered softly, not letting go off her. Alec needed to see her reaction to everything, to know how to help her.

Max finally opened her eyes and looked straight into Alec's hazel orbs. With a soft smile at the deep look of concern and worry on the face of the usually carefree transgenic beside her, she replied "Hey," in the same soft whisper.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"You Maxie?" asked Alec in fake astonishment. "The kick-ass, I've-got-shark-DNA-so-I-never-need-to-sleep, save the world, do everything now transgenic is actually tired?"

Max grinned, enjoying Alec's teasing. To her, that signified normal behaviour between the two of them and she didn't know how to act after what had happened. "Well, what can I say Alec, there's a first time for everything. Right now I feel like I could sleep for a week and still be tired at the end of it."

Alec unwrapped one of his arms from around Max's waist to lay the back of his hand on her forehead, testing her temperature. Max giggled at his nursemaid behaviour, "You must be ill. Hmm, you feel feverish, sure that you're okay?" Alec shot her a fake look of concern, which quickly changed into a wince as she hit him on the shoulder. "Ouch Maxie, that hurt. At least the pressing question has been answered, it is still Max here, not her sleepy clone."

Max just smiled at him and moved closer to Alec, feeling safe while he was there. Alec put his arm around her again, pulling her body close against his as she lay her head on his chest. "Max?" he asked, placing a lot of meanings on that one word.

"I'm alright," she whispered with a small yawn, "Just sleepy." Her words were muffled by Alec's chest but thanks to his transgenic hearing, they were still perfectly audible.

"Go to sleep then Maxie," he whispered to the top of her forehead, kissing her silky hair, "I'll keep you safe. Sleep for as long as you want."

But Max didn't hear his last few words, the last thing she remembered was Alec kissing her hair, just as he had done when comforting her after she had told him about Ben.

------------------

Alec awoke with a start, quickly and instinctively checking on Max while scanning the room for danger. Max was still asleep and there was no sign of a disturbance in the room, so Alec decided to fall asleep again. He settled down on the bed, only to hear the door being knocked loudly.

'_Shit' _thought Alec, trying to untangle himself from the covers and Max and answer the door without awakening Max, not an easy task due to her shark DNA. Eventually he managed to get out of the bed, when the knocking began again. This time, Max started to stir in response to the noise. Alec yanked the door open to stop the noise from waking her up, after all there was a reason why 'Let sleeping transgenics lie' was one of the unwritten rules of life at Terminal City, but he didn't expect the consequences of this action.

SMACK! The door had been opened so quickly that the knocker didn't have time to react and had brought his clenched fist firmly down on Alec's forehead. "Ow!" yelled Alec, nursing his forehead, "Whatcha do that for?"

A smirk spread across the door-knocker's face and when he began to laugh, his cigar almost fell out of his mouth. "Aren't you used to being hit by now pretty boy? You do hang around with Max all the time."

"She beats me up as an excuse to touch me, Mole and as a sign of affection. The sentiment negates the ouch, but you have no excuse. Or do you just want to touch me too? If so, speak to Normal, you two could start my male fan club." Alec explained while gingerly probing his sore forehead.

"Thanks for the offer, but I've already got a job and so has he. And speaking of my job, could you get Max for me? She's needed at HQ." drawled the lizard transgenic, puffing on his cigar as if to reassure himself that he hadn't dropped it while laughing at Alec.

Alec glanced over at the bed and saw that Max was now awake and looking at him. Silently, she signed to him what to say, _'Tell him I'm asleep and not feeling well, I really can't face them at the moment. And Alec, I'm going to kick you ass for saying that to Mole'_, she finished with a mock scowl.

Smirking inwardly, Alec turned to Mole, "She's asleep, believe it or not and I'm not gonna wake her, come the USA army or the apocalypse. I'll tell her you came for her when she does wake up, but she wasn't feeling too well last night, she really needs to rest."

"Asleep? Wonders will never cease" joked Mole. "Well we'll carry on with the meeting about supplies but Max can't complain if she doesn't like our plans, I'm warning you now."

"If she disagrees with what you've done, I'm just gonna sit there with some popcorn and let the entertainment commence," Alec grinned, imagining a fight between the leader of Terminal City and one of her deputies.

"Thanks for that vote of confidence," replied Mole sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I'll catch up with ya later, and I still wanna know where my bloody cigars are!"

Alec shut the door in Mole's face, laughing as he heard the giant lizard-man curse inventively. He looked over towards the subject of the conversation. Max stretched on the bed, yawning lazily. "I'm sorry Alec, I just can't face them now," she whispered apologetically, her eyes downcast.

"It's OK Max, I understand." Alec sat on the bed again, placing a few strands of hair that had fallen across her face behind her ears and continued to stroke her hair. "Take as long as you need, we can cope without you."

"I just feel like I'm slacking," Max admitted ruefully.

"Nah, if you were slacking I'd call Normal to get you working, bip bip bip!" joked Alec, remembering how Max always sassed Normal back, whenever he told her to get moving.

Max started to giggle and then stopped suddenly, startled by the rumbling sound that emerged from her stomach. "Well I've just got my marching orders," getting off the bed and stretching in a fluid motion with a grace that reminded Alec of her feline DNA.

"Tell you what, I'll go and get us some food for breakfast, actually lunch," Alec corrected himself after glancing at his watch, "You can have a shower etc, while I'm gone - just don't use up all the hot water" he warned, wagging a threatening finger at Max.

She pouted at him, "It's my shower!" Max loved how Alec could make her feel carefree and happy, no matter what was happening - it was never like that with Logan, the fate of the world always seemed to depend on every little thing.

"Fair's fair Maxie, haven't you learnt that by now?" asked Alec in a singsong voice, making a hasty getaway. He had just made in time too, no sooner had he closed the door than he heard a WHOOMPH, Max had obviously reverted back to her normal self. Chuckling, he made his way to the building that they had turned into the food hall, swerving past some other transgenic.

Inside the room, Max made her way over to the door to pick up the pillow that she had thrown at Alec's departing form. She quickly made the bed and then wandered round her room, grabbing the stuff for her shower. After a quick wash feeling the better for getting clean, she dressed in sweats and a baggy hooded jumper, ready for a day of lazing about doing nothing. She left the steamy bathroom just as Alec walked in the door of her bedroom, carrying a stack of plates loaded with food. "Good timing!" she greeted him, grabbing a few of the plates and plonking herself on the floor, already starting to eat.

"Thank my spidey sense, heh don't eat all the chips!" Alec swooped down and grabbed the plate, taking some chips and shoving them in his mouth.

"Well I never did learn to share, did I?" replied Max coyly, calmly stealing the plate back. After some more friendly insults, they settled down and began to eat in a companionable silence. Alec was amazed at how much food Max was putting away; though she was a transgenic, he had just thought that she didn't eat much, because of her slight frame.

"Jesus Max, how much do you eat anyway?"

She quickly glanced over at the plates scattered around me, assessing them. "About the same as you do Alec. You managed to finish that lot off sharpish."

"I'm a growing boy." explained Alec as he grabbed the TV control and switched the 'boob-tube' on. **Flick**, **flick**, **flick** - _'no way,' _**flick **"The government still haven't answered the growing threat of the transgenic¼" _'Old news' _**flick **_'ah, heaven.' _He settled back, enjoying the vision on the screen in front of him.

"ALEC! No way are we watching this crap!" Max tried to grab the remote from his hands, failing miserably.

"Come on Maxie, this is America's best entertainment! Culture at its finest!" Alec insisted, holding her hands away from the remote.

"Its women in bikinis with their boobs hanging out and screeching that some people claim is music. Come on, lets just watch a movie instead?"

"Fine" Alec sulked and switched the channel till he found a good movie, an old one about cheerleading and two rival teams. _'At least there's eye candy' _he thought.

'_Lame' _thought Max, _'Trust Alec to pick this one.' _Nevertheless, she sat beside him watching the film, gradually becoming interested in the action and involved in the movie. So involved that she didn't notice that her head was lying on Alec's chest once more and his arm was around her waist. They watched another movie after that one had ended and spent the rest of the day in front of the TV screen, never moving from each other's side.

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**A/N 2: **I didn't realise it had been so long since I updated, sorry guys. Thanks for hanging in there! First off no Internet, then Latin Camp (not as dull as it sounds) for 2 weeks and I'll admit it, I was lazy and it took me ages to type this part up. Hastily ducks the items thrown at her. I'll try and be better from now on though, OK? Exam results are on Thursday (Aaaaaaaaah!!) and I'm off on holiday on Friday for a week so I'll post the next part in about 2 weeks time. Hoped you liked this part, I promise it'll get more interesting soon!

Still looking for a beta, so if anyone's interested, please tell me.

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**acb**: Thanks, your review made me feel a happy bunny. Don't feel like I did an amazing job on this chap but I hope the next one will be better. Come on, a few hints please on how to make White pay? I can't think of that many at the moment, and I want something really inventive and nasty to happen to him - he deserves it!

**flash**: Don't worry, I'm always impatient with stories too! Please don't kill me for updating so late! I told my parents what you said and they laughed - they don't think that I'm any good, pouts.

**Ronda the Immortal waitress**: Lol, love your pen name. I'm sure a good, hefty kick to White's special place can be arranged, just to make you feel better.

**Black Rose9**: Thanks for the review and the beta info, sorry about the incredible lateness of this posting, I'll be quicker next time.

**Fayth3**: Thanks for reviewing, I love your stories. I'm glad you did take a risk and read this story, thanks so much for the review, makes me eager to write if I know people are enjoying the fic.

**X5- 467**: Don't worry, he will pay. Thanks for the compliment.

**nelita**: Thanks for the review. I'm not sure how to answer your question, I think that there's a lot more to Alec than the carefree guy that's portrayed most of the time. With the whole Rachel thing, I reckon that he had to be one of the best to get the assignment, so I'm going to include that in the fic, but he also cares about people. You can see that with Rachel and the fact that he doesn't kill that X5 in Proof of Purchase, just cuts the barcode off. I feel as if he's learnt at Manticore to hide these feelings and emotions, but he's gradually letting them out now that he's free. Whew, that was a long answer, wasn't it? But that's what I think anyway, and that's how Alec's going to be in this fic.

**Shakrin**: Thanks for the info about betas. Glad you like the story. Here's another chappie so you don't kill me or end the world with your Godzilla machine! Lol, I loved you review.

**Lotamoxie**: Thanks for the review, soz about the wait!

**Louise**: Don't worry, White will suffer, I promise. Sorry about the wait!

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You guys know what I want; **REVIEW! NOW! Please?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Only a couple of days late, I'm improving. Sorry for the slight delay anyway, I went on holiday and my muse went too, just it took longer to come back!

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Alec jerked awake to the sound of a long, high-pitched scream, emanating from the other person in the room. Earlier he had decided, after some pleading from Max, to stay with her in the room but not to sleep in the same bed. Alec's sudden movement made him lose his balance and he fell off the couch and onto the floor with a thump. He ignored the sharp, stinging pain and rushed over to the bed, whose occupant continued to thrash about, moaning. Alec bent over the bed, and realised that Max was still asleep. _'Nightmare' _he thought, _'Of course she'd have nightmares.' _He sat on the edge of the bed and captured the brunette's flailing arms to wrap his arms around her.

"You're alright Max," he whispered "You're safe, I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. You're in Terminal City, surrounded by friends who'll do anything for you, don't worry, everything will be fine, don't panic, you're safe..." Alec kept his low monologue going, in a caressing voice, rubbing Max's back to calm her down. Slowly but surely, Max's whimpering and tossing subsided until she lay in Alec's arms, at peace. Gently he placed her back onto the bed and returned to his spot on the couch, only to groan as she started to toss again.

"Fine Max, I can take a hint as well as the next transgenic," he muttered, making his way over the empty pizza boxes to the bed again. He scooted Max over and lay down, wrapping his arms around her once more. Max immediately stopped her restless tossing, and just before Alec shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep, he saw a faint smile grace her features, as if she only felt safe in Alec's strong arms.

Max awoke first the next morning, relaxed and comfortable. She knew before she opened her eyes that it was Alec who was holding her, and she trusted him implicitly. Feeling warm, happy and lazy, she snuggled up to the warm body next to her as the clouds that almost permanently overhung Seattle these days cleared, to let the sun filter down to shine on the two transgenic.

After a few hours, Max became bored with just lying around. Alec was still asleep, so she silently slid out from underneath both his arms and the covers, stretching with a cat-like grace due to her feline DNA. She wandered around the room, gathering some clothes and grabbing a towel and went into the bathroom, desperate for a shower. Max took her time in the shower, relishing in the hot water and cleaning her body that was sticky from sweat, courtesy of her nightmares. Grabbing at the shampoo, she washed her dark tresses, enjoying the feel of pampering herself. She concentrated her thoughts on the here and now, determined not to think of a certain past event that would have her breaking down and crying once more.

Max walked out of the now misty room back into her bedroom, looking at the bed to see if Alec was up yet. He wasn't; he was still lying on the bed but he had sprawled all over it while Max was in the shower, his lips parted. Max grinned, Alec looked so innocent while he slept, as if he had never been trained as a genetically enhanced soldier with several kills under his belt, as if he had never seen his first love badly injured in a car explosion before his eyes and been tortured afterwards for failing to finish the mission. _'Why don't ordinaries understand that our only differences are skin deep? We all bleed, we all care, even though we were taught to be unfeeling killers - we're not animals that only live to kill.' _Max shook her head sadly, people would always be scared of what was different. She and the other transgenics had to show the ordinary populace of America that they were human, at least in temperament, and that they could function in a society, that was what Terminal City was partially about. The other part was that they needed a place of their own to defend and live in, to escape from the persecution.

Max went to sit on the couch, stacking up the dirty plates on the table and tossing two pizza boxes into the trash can on her way. Grabbing her hairbrush, she pulled her wet hair over her shoulder and started to brush it. It was quite a job, with the mess and tangles it had got in during ... _'Don't even go there!' _she fiercely remonstrated herself, and she hadn't bothered to even try to start untangling it yesterday, she had been too tired. Eventually all the tangles were brushed out and her hair had almost dried. Electricity was too needed in TC to be wasted on appliances like hair dryers or any other convenience appliances. Alec argued that they had to have TV however, it was an essential part of culture and it was easier for all the transgenics to watch the news and know what was happening. The fact that almost no one watched the news seemed to have 'escaped' all of high command and so most transgenics had a TV, if they could scavenge or 'borrow' one.

Max glanced over at the bed again, amazed at the fact that Alec was still sleeping. _'It's not like he did anything strenuous yesterday, how can he be content to just lie in bed all day' _she wondered, forgetting how she had just lay in bed next to Alec for an hour, a thing unheard of for Max - she was not content to stay still. Grabbing an old book of Father's that Joshua had lent her, something about a wizard, men, elves, hobbits, dwarves, orcs and a powerful ring, she began to read. The story was captivating, and she could imagine being there on the quest, the descriptions forming pictures in her mind's eyes of incredibly beautiful landscapes, nothing like the dreary sights of Seattle. Max immersed herself in Middle Earth and forgot everything, until a knock at the door startled her out of one of her nine lives, courtesy of her feline DNA.

It wasn't a loud knock, it was rather tentative but Max's sensitive hearing amplified the sound. She looked over at Alec in a panic, only to see him still asleep. "Asshole" she muttered under her breath, only half joking. "What does it take to wake him, an earthquake, apocalypse?" Cautiously she approached the door, trying to ascertain who wanted her. Again the person knocked, a little louder this time. With one last longing and annoyed look at the bed, she said softly, "Who is it?"

"Lil' Fella?" she heard the person reply.

She sighed with relief, it wasn't someone who would ask what happened and spread anything she said quicker than ordinaries gossiped about other people's affairs. "Wait a sec", she told him as she unlocked the door.

Finally the door swung open. "Hey Big Fella," Max stood there shyly, unsure of what to do.

Joshua didn't notice and rushed in, sweeping her off the floor and into a huge hug, almost crushing her rib cage in his tight grip.

"Hey Josh, mindful of the ribs!" Max grinned, happy to see that someone had missed her this much.

Joshua immediately put her down. "Sorry Lil' Fella, I was just happy. You went away."

Max instinctively realised that he had been scared to death about her disappearance. "I'm sorry Joshua, I didn't mean for that to happen. I won't go away again without telling you, I promise." She wrapped her arms around the huge dog-man, who hugged her back.

"I didn't want you to be another Annie," he whispered, and Max squeezed him tighter, knowing how much he had grieved over Annie, the only ordinary who hadn't cared what Joshua had looked like, loving him for his personality.

Finally, Max let go, not used to all this emotional stuff. "So were you just checking up on me Joshua or did you need anything?"

"No, Joshua's fine. Came here to see if you were alright Max, I was worried. Mole told me you were safe but..." Joshua turned away from her to look at Alec sprawled on the bed, "You never came to see me."

As Max tried desperately to think how she could answer Joshua without letting him know exactly what happened, Joshua looked at her again and tilted his head to the side, "Max and Alec, getting busy?"

Max's jaw dropped. "Hell no!" she exclaimed without thinking, realising why he had thought that. At that precise moment, Alec, who had awoke at the first knock but feigned sleep to see how Max handled the situation without his help, decided to join the conversation.

"Maxie, Maxie, Maxie, denial isn't just a river in Egypt. Don't you care about my feelings? It hurts me when you deny our love so casually." Alec rolled over onto his side facing his friends, making puppy dog eyes at Max.

"Fool," she grinned, grabbing a pillow and promptly trying to suffocate him. Alec wrestled his way from under the pillow and a pillow fight immediately began. Shrieks filled the air as well as laughter as the two chased each other round the room.

Joshua was mystified by his friends' strange behaviour. Were they getting busy? He didn't understand why humans didn't just tell the truth, everyone could see that Alec had eyes for no one but Max and that Max was more relaxed in his company than Logan's. Not wanting to interrupt the X5's weird courtship ritual, Joshua decided to sit this one out on the couch. His eyes spotted the book that he had loaned to Max and he picked it up and started reading.

Max and Alec continued to leap around the bed and the rest of the room, forgetting that Joshua was there as they tried to be the victor of the war. However, someone was cheating.

"Max," Alec whined, "Stop cheating. Every time I've got you, you either scream or giggle and ruin my concentration. It's not sporting!"

"Well pretty boy," Max drawled, in an imitation of Mole, "If you wouldn't insist on tickling me or grabbing my ass, then I wouldn't scream or giggle."

"What?" asked Alec, in fake astonishment. "Is Maxie, the bitch with attitude, susceptible to tickling?" He had let his guard down, thinking that he had won.

"Are you?" Max replied, and with an evil grin she started to tickle his sides.

She was startled by the girly squeal that Alec let out immediately and looked at his face to see tears streaming down it.

"Shit Max, stop already... aaah... you win! Stop! Please?" The last part came out in a begging tone, Alec knew that he couldn't stand much more of this.

"Well, well, well," crowed Max triumphantly, relishing in her victory. "Who knew that Alec squealed like a girl? Maybe Normal." A mental image hit her and she shuddered.

"That's cheating Max!" Alec panted out, as soon as he got his breath back.

"Hey, you started it. If you can't take it, don't deal it out. You know..." she continued, in a thoughtful tone, "You woulda thought that Manticore would make their soldiers resistant to tickling, after all, they made us immune to most types of torture."

"Probably thought that the enemies the transgenic were sent against would be big bads, not like the ones in second rate movies that use tickling as their best torture." Alec said, thinking about what Max had said.

"Weird."

Joshua realised that his two best friends had finally calmed down and relayed to Alec the message that Mole had given him, "Alec?"

"Yeah Josh?"

"Mole says he needs you or Max to go over to command, to sort stuff out. Too much is backing up and things are about to go FUBAR."

Max looked apprehensively at Alec and he understood that she still wasn't up to deal with loads of males yet. "I'll go now, probably nothing bad and he just wants to yell at me about those cigars. I'll grab 'em and head out. Stay with Max till I get back, alright Josh?"

"Don't worry Medium Fella, I'll look after Lil Fella." Joshua assured Alec, who smiled and went out of the door, frowning as he tried to remember where exactly he had stashed those cigars that Mole needed so desperately.

**Replies to reviews:**

**acb: **Thanks for the review! It made me feel better about that chapter. Here's another lighter one but don't worry, there will be definite angst later! Wow, that's an interesting idea, could be quite cool to work into the story. I'm not sure if I'd be allowed to let White live or not, depends what you guys think about it. Actually, I don't know if he'll live or die and I won't tell you or it'll spoil it!

**Ronda the Immortal waitress: **I like people with obsessions. Buffy used to be my obsession too, till I discovered Dark Angel. Is this update soon enough? Sorry about the White ass-kicking tho, you'll have to wait till later for that!

**TikigirlK16: **Thanks for the 'as usual' part, it boosts my ego! My muse left for a while, but it's now back, hope this is soon enough.

**flash: **What can I say, I must be psychic! Maybe I should go into Psy Ops? Yeah, Max trusts Alec as she sees him as her rescuer, plus she was getting closer to him before this, but not love wise. Other people will find out later about the rape, it'll be fun to write their reactions! A little bit over two weeks, please don't kill me!

**Aur: **Is this soon enough? Glad you're liking my story and don't worry, they will get together, eventually! They have a lot of issues at the moment!

**nelita: **Thanks for the review, and I'll try. You do know that you're just feeding my ego when you write things like that, don't you? I'm not complaining though, lol!

**Louise: **Was that a hint to say get your ass working and hurry up with the updates at all? I'll try and be quicker updating so that you can read more J

**Storm: **Thanks, how's this chap?

**Alcyone: **Thanks for the idea, I'll try and out that in, I think most people would cheer if that happened. If you do want to be my beta, it'd only be to check spelling, grammar, no glaring mistakes like making Max a guy or anything. If you don't mind, give me a review (please) or send me an email and I'll email you the next part when I've wrote it for you to check. Thanks, pet!


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